Othello has been portrayed on stage and screen by some of the leading African-American actors of the past century, including Paul Robeson, Lawrence Fishburne, and James Earl Jones (the last of which I myself was privileged to witness.) Othello has in the age of racial integration become a symbol for two lovers turning their backs on the prejudices of society, and the intransigence of racists like Iago who will not permit them to be happy. You will hear me harp on this point at length, but I do not agree with this interpretation. It’s very clear from the text that Iago’s motivation was his jealousy at being passed over for promotion, not any racial prejudice on his part. Othello’s ethnicity and physical appearance played a role, but it was not the key factor of his life. He was noble, eloquent, perhaps too hot-blooded for his own good, but an excellent general who would have made a fine husband to Desdemona were it not for the evil machinations of Iago.

(In addition to my other objection, which you will hear me gas on about: Othello was NOT BLACK.)

Join us for The Tragedy of Othello on 5/12 on ZOOM. We will begin by watching scenes from the play on video, about 7:00pm, Japan time. Leave a reply below if you want an invitation to the Zoom meeting.

For more information about the play, go to the Files Page of this site and click on the file marked “Othello”. You can see the summary and some background information on the play.